Tag Archives: City of Austin Environmental Commission

Following the odorous indication that a zebra mussel infestation had arrived in Austin waterways earlier this month, Austin Water has been working to come up with a solution to prevent a similar instance from recurring.Austin Water is already working to slow the…

After purchasing his home in May 2016 under the assumption that the city would permit him to subdivide his 3.2-acre lot into two 1.6-acre lots, Rick Engel, the owner of Ski Shores restaurant, found himself still pleading his case almost three…

The number of people experiencing homelessness is growing in the city of Austin. Last fall, recognizing the crisis on the streets and the pressure on city resources, City Council approved an increased budget to help relieve the situation.In addition to…

At the Environmental Commission, the third time was not the charm to recommend a change to the land plan of the Senna Hills Municipal Utility District. The proposed change would repurpose 11.73 acres of irrigation land with two developable acres…

A decades-old sand and gravel mine just east of Austin city limits may be about to get a face-lift as a new Mueller-esque planned unit development (PUD).The proposal for the 2,122-acre property includes 12,000 residential units, 2.25 million square feet…

City water and wastewater flow just 175 feet away from the site of a newly proposed Volvo dealership; however, the 26-acre site at 10600 N FM 620 remains on well water and a septic system.Even with a plan to alter…

Down in Southwest Austin, behind the Oak Hill HEB, is an undeveloped 18-acre parcel of land that is subject to a 1987 restrictive covenant.Currently, the undeveloped land at 6901 Old Bee Caves Road is zoned for commercial use, but because the…

There are few undeveloped lots along Lake Austin. However, those that are find themselves uniquely positioned as a clean slate that is ideal for a new, modern home – except when the lot is the wrong shape.Just underneath Mt. Bonnell…

After nearly four and a half hours of testimony and discussion, and two votes due to some confusion over the conditions attached to a motion, the Environmental Commission endorsed the environmental superiority of the Camelback PUD, the controversial planned unit…

Sometimes trees have the most powerful voices in our city.At the Sept. 5 meeting of the Environmental Commission, Max Elliott, who is a resident of the Govalle neighborhood, alerted the commission that recently a builder removed five heritage trees “on…

It’s not often that a variance to remove heritage trees comes before the Environmental Commission. But when it does, the decision is no walk in the park.“Trees like this are one of the challenging cases for us,” City Arborist Keith Mars…

According to the 2017 customer satisfaction poll by the Development Services Department, the time it takes to complete the inspection process was ranked as the most important component but had the lowest satisfaction rating.In an effort to change that perception,…

There’s no denying it: The climate as we know it is changing, but access to water sources is not.Three years ago the second iteration of the Water Forward Task Force convened in an effort to draft a 100-year water supply…

Everyone knows the saying, “If everyone jumped off a cliff, would you do it too?” Well, spoiler alert, the answer should be no.Although that was not exactly the question that the Environmental Commission asked at its Aug. 1 meeting, it…

Sometimes for development projects, it’s the second time that’s the charm.Over a decade ago, developers of a 42-acre tract of land at 1322 W. Dittmar Road received a variance to construct a private drive across a critical water quality zone…

After members of the Environmental Commission postponed a vote on a proposed Zilker Park landscaping project to gain a deeper understanding of the environmental suitability, two weeks later the tone of their response was not much different from their initial…

This year, as the Watershed Protection Department goes through its annual budgeting cycle, things are looking good.At the June 6 meeting of the Environmental Commission, Watershed Protection staff presented an overview of its upcoming projects and the related finances. According…

At their June 6 meeting, members of the Environmental Commission found themselves faced with an unusual question: “What if developers had the right to build up to 90 percent of their base impervious cover without having to abide by the…

A variety of improvements totaling millions of dollars for the area around Barton Springs will move slowly forward in 2019 and 2020, with the protection of the endangered Barton Springs salamander as the primary consideration of city staff.At a combined…

After years of planning on paper, the South Central Waterfront Regulating Plan is finally one step closer to reality after the Environmental Commission recommended the associated environmental development standards to City Council.Along the shores of Lady Bird Lake, there is…

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